A/N: Hi everyone. I am rather new at writing fanfictions but I am excited to write this one. Currently in a post-Harry Potter depressed mood, I have taken up writing about the pairing I love (even though I have no clue why). My fanfic will contain spoilers, for I hope to closely follow J. K. Rowling's sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. However, I will be writing in Draco's perspective and will be adding scenes where I find there are gaps. Of course, I will be adding a bit of romance and deviating from the book from time to time. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Although I do not own Harry Potter, there are places with an asterisk (*) to mark pieces of dialogue I have taken from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I own nothing of her work but chose to use these snippets of dialogue to tie my story with the book.

Pity Those Who Live Without Love

Chapter 1: Hogwart's Express

On one particular September day, King's Cross was teeming with people. Not that that was unusual. Thousands of people swarmed the station daily to travel wherever they were heading. But on this day, the same day as every year, strange people were entering the station, as muggles who were employed at the station noticed.

Rather than suitcases and briefcases, these people rolled trolleys with large trunks, which all may have well came from decades before their time, and animals. Owls, ferrets, mice, all stowed away in cages, adding to the clanking and pit pattering of the trolley. And their dress! Many of the adults wore long, draping cloaks, something of which was never in style. Some even donned on pointed hats. Then there were those who wore the strangest arrangements of socks, shoes, shirts, and pants. A man walked by with three socks on one foot yet none on another his wife wore three heavy layers of clothing despite the fairly pleasant weather. Regardless, walking in tight groups, these people were all headed for the same place. The whereabouts of 'that lot,' as referred to by the station's staff, always remained a mystery.

Many awaited that September day. For many eager children, it was their first time crossing the strangely not solid column to platform 9 ¾. Before them, the brilliant train roared with life with steam spouting out airy blows and children and teens shouted from the train cars. On the platform, families were exchanging hugs and kisses. Proud mothers of the new first years had tears streaming down the faces. Meanwhile, returning students looked at the Hogwarts Express with wide grins, no grin larger than those of Fred and George Weasley.

Today had been the day nearly everyone was looking for, especially Harry Potter. For him, now
"The Chosen One," he was returning to his true home, the place where he shared genuine smiles, jokes, and stories and where he had made his first friends with two in particular, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Together, they made the Golden Trio, the trio that fought You-Know-Who not once but on multiple occasions. Not even many trained aurors could claim such a feat and live to tell the tale. Having said their final goodbyes, the three boarded the train. All three passed with splendid marks on their O.. Ron and Hermione were prefects. Now Harry earned the same respect but as captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. It was already the start of a great year.

However, on that day there wasn't just one "Chosen One," but two. However, the second was nervous and bitter about the return to Hogwarts and was chosen for all the wrong reasons. Dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit, a wizard with perfect blonde hair took up his briefcase and looked back. Behind him, two stiff people looked back. The man gave a curt nod and his mother mouthed, "I will miss you." But Draco did not return his mother's address. No, he was simply sick of her babying him all the time. Yes, he was the chosen one and chosen for a most honorable task.

Finally, with its last puff of smoke, Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station with many young witches and wizards stuck out their heads and hands to wave goodbye. Meanwhile, the older ones, accustomed to this already, took the opportunity to find the better train compartments, aka the ones away from the noisy first years. The Golden Trio had split up since Ron and Hermione were the Gryffindor prefects. Draco found himself heading the same direction, for he had been made prefect as well to his astonishment.

As Draco walked to the designated compartment, some girls watched him. He walked by with such composure and coolness that girls couldn't help but let out soft, girly giggles. However, Draco was merely indifferent. He reminded himself to have a word with those bothersome first and second years.

"Draco!" a shrill almost shriek-like voice called his name. Before Draco could even debate whether or not to say hi, he felt a body press against him. "Hi, Draco. Did you have a nice summer?"

'Pansy Parkinson,' he thought, 'another year with her.' He sighed. "I've had an interesting summer, to say the very least." Pansy looked up at him eagerly, waiting for the next sentence which never came.

"So Drakie, I've been made prefect, and as rumors say, so have you." With a smooth motion with his hand, Draco slightly opened his suit to reveal a shiny, green badge. Pansy squealed with delight. "Girls are so easy to please," he muttered under his breath. But Pansy was too excited to notice, and even if she did, she took it for a soft sigh. "Let's go together." Weaving her arm into his, she pulled him closer and the two walked off.

The walk was short, for the prefect compartment was located in the center of the train. When they slid the door open, they were met with scowl, coming from no one other than Ron.

"What's wrong with your face, Weasley?" Draco sneered. "Mother didn't have enough food to make you lunch?" Ron turned a bright red with his mouth slightly parted, but he was too stunned to speak.

"Sod off, Malfoy," came the defiant voice, which belonged to no one other than Hermione.

"I didn't even notice you there, Granger. And who let you in? In case you haven't noticed, you are the odd one out. This isn't the place for filthy mudbloods like you." Draco nearly spat out the last word. For a split second, he felt very pleased with himself, and next to him, Pansy mouthed "mudblood" and "blood traitor."

"Well I'm so sorry," Hermione replied sarcastically while closing her book. "I thought this compartment was for model students, not pompous gits." No one in the compartment made a sound.

"Why you lousy mudblood," he said with his voice raised. "Why don't you return the magic you've stolen and your wand to Ollivanders."

"And you are stupid enough to believe that…" But Hermione never finished her comment.

"This compartment is for exemplary students. Such bickering will not be tolerated," a very stern voice announced. The Head Boy and Girl were standing now at the entrance. The boy continued, "We congratulate you all for accepting this responsibility as prefects. Now…"

Under his breath, Ron whispered, "exemplary students." Hermione laughed and looked over at one Slytherin in particular. When their eyes met, she heard him scowl. Hermione smirked, which only angered Draco further.

"…your first duty as prefects is to monitor the train cars. Slytherin will take the first shift, then Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and finally Ravenclaw. When you are done patrolling, you may come back here or sit in another compartment. You can all go now."

Draco already dreaded this "privilege" as prefect. "Come on Drakie." Draco didn't understand why Pansy was so excited. This was servants work, and he definitely was in no mood to do any sort of work.

As Pansy, eager to have relative alone time with Draco, dragged his hand, Draco noticed that they were passing by the same compartment with those annoying girls. With a sudden idea, he stopped and pulled Pansy toward him. Before he gave her a rough kiss, he made sure the girls were watching. When he saw their disappointed faces, he stopped. "Let's go to our compartment, Pansy." Too giddy to take in what Draco said, she nodded.

Draco had better things to do rather than watch happy students. He walked through several cars and as he did so pushed whomever out of his way until he found the compartment with his lot. As he slid the door open, he saw Crabbe with his comics and Goyle lounging on the seat.

"Oi."

The two boys looked up. "Where's Zabini?" Out of his "friends," Malfoy only really enjoyed talking to Zabini, who was the only one capable of holding out an intelligent or even decent conversation.

"He was invited somewhere. I dunno," mumbled Goyle. "Professor Slugburn or something."

'You never know anything,' thought Malfoy as he took a seat. He saw Pansy give a pout so he swapped sides and lay on her lap, thinking that would shut her up for some time. Pansy was delighted.

"So how was your summer?" Goyle asked.

Draco was in a foul mood and muttered something. There were so many things to be angered about, but for some reason, Draco could only see Granger's smug face. He hated himself for giving her that rare opportunity. No, he was definitely not up for talking. Goyle, not knowing how to take a hint, continued to blather away about his summer. Although Draco never hated his group, he hated them all now. Why, he hated everything right now. Frustrated, he closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

Draco finally woke up to a familiar yet now angered voice of Zabini, who had just entered the compartment with a face of contempt that even Draco approved of. "What's wrong with this thing?"*

Suddenly, Draco saw as Zabini was pushed by the door (which made no sense in his mind), causing Zabini to topple into Goyle's lap. While the two were squabbling like foolish children, a flash of white flitted across Draco's eyes. Draco pretended to watch his two friends as he tried to follow the intruder. 'Potter, no doubt.' He let out a scowl and decided to deal with Potter later.

With Draco up, Pansy resumed stroking his hair. Without any pleasantries, Draco asked Zabini about Slughorn's get together. As Zabini recounted what sounded like a dull collection of prats and wannabes, he couldn't help but feel irked. Why wasn't he invited? Even Longbottom, the useless blunder, was invited. And of course, precious Potter was invited. He scowled, "But that Weasley girl! What's so special about her?"* For the second time of the day, he nearly spat. The combination of mudblood and blood traitor nauseated him. Then with Pansy giving that Weasley girl the compliment of good-looking, Draco could have thrown up and nearly did so.

"I wouldn't bank on an invitation. I don't think Slughorn's interested in Death Eaters," said Zabini. Angered, Malfoy forced out a singularly humorless laugh.* 'To hell with that man then,' thought Draco.

And without realizing it, Draco had told his lot that he was not attending Hogwarts next year. Pansy immediately stopped playing with Draco's hair and asked for an explanation. She couldn't lose him just as Draco was about to become her boyfriend. After a long pause and sigh, Draco continued.

"Well, you never know. I might have –er – moved on to bigger and better things."* Again Draco paused, but this time it wasn't because he was frustrated with his friends but rather heard a sound coming from the luggage rack above.

Now his friends were curious. Yes, they doubted him. All except Pansy, of course, who had on a face of adoration. However, although he didn't show it, Draco doubted himself, too. 'Zabini is right. Only sixteen.' His face wrinkled. 'But I have to do it, don't I? I have to. Or else…' He didn't allow himself to finish his thought. His right hand was already beginning to tremble. To his greater relief and nervousness, Hogwarts came into view. "We'd better get our robes on," he said.*

The compartment now felt small with the five of them in there. Crabbe and Goyle now took up much more space now. Pansy was taking her sweet time, fixing her hair and makeup while looking at Draco from her mirror. Draco, however, only had one thing in mind now. He did not forget about the intruder. As Goyle shoved people out of the way as he exited, Draco decided to stay behind. He wanted to thank his unwanted guest personally.

With the others gone, he aimed his wand and said, "Petrificus Totalus." As expected, there was a loud thud as a motionless body hit the compartment floor. The Invisibility Cloak had slipped off with the fall, exposing Potter's body to Draco, who for the third time spat at him. 'Worthless Potter spying on me. And to think,' Draco let out a haughty laugh, 'to think that he thought he could get away.'

"You didn't' hear anything I care about, Potter. But while I've got you here…"*

Using all of the pent up rage, frustration, and anxiousness from the day alone, he stomped as hard as he could on Potter's face. Blood splattered everywhere. Feeling rather accomplished, Draco took up the Invisibility Cloak and threw it over Potter." Maybe I won't ever have to see with you again," muttered Malfoy. But then he scoffed and sarcastically said, "But you are the Chosen One. Everyone loves you." With that, Draco took his briefcase and exited the compartment with a smug look on his face.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know it isn't drastically different from the novel. I'll add my own tibits soon. Please continue to read my upcoming chapters and review. Comments and suggestions are always welcomed (:

vivoridoamo - live laugh love